With 2023 being announced as the International Year of Millets, the focus this year has been to bring India’s wide variety of millet produce and recipes to the forefront. At the recently concluded G20 Summit held in New Delhi, for example, India’s contribution to millet production was put forward on the global stage. Naturally then, when it comes to India’s reality food shows of the year, especially the prestigious MasterChef India, millets will once again hold a place of pride in challenges. A recent post by Chef Vikas Chawla on social media proves this.
For those unaware, Chef Vikas Chawla helms the Chandigarh-based restaurant, Jhumroo, which is known for its millet-intensive menu and especially a wide range of sweets made with millets and millet flours. In a recent video sneak peek shared on Instagram, Chef Vikas Chawla revealed the grand entry of his team into the MasterChef India Season 8 kitchen, followed by the celebrity chef judges, Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Pooja Dhingra, tasting each sweet treat.
Video Credit: YouTube/Chef Vikas Chawla
“Best Besan Barfi I have ever tasted,” says Chef Vikas Khanna in the video after one bite of the traditional Indian mithai. Chef Pooja Dhingra, who is new to the MasterChef India judges’ panel and is popular for her own sweet creations, is seen agreeing with the Michelin-starred chef. The judges are next seen trying out the Finger Millets Barfi prepared by Chef Vikas Chawla and relishing every bite.
“Jhumroo Millets Mithai has reached Masterchef India for the judges' review,” Chef Chawla wrote on Instagram. “Thank you so much, Chef Vikas Khanna @vikaskhannagroup , for making this incredible journey possible and for enabling us to promote a message of positivity and sustainability through our food.”
In many other sneak peek videos and posts by Chef Vikas Chawla, it appears that the Chandigarh-based chef was at the MasterChef India sets for a whole day. This suggests that Chef Vikas Chawla may have set one of the Pressure Tests that the contestants in the upcoming show will have to face. Would the challenge involve recreating one of Chef Vikas Chawla’s dishes or will it provide the contestants an inspiration for their own millet-based creations? Only the new season of the show will reveal these details.
Chef Vikas Chawla, who has been a part of the food and hospitality industry for 15 years, started Jhumroo in Chandigarh in 2023. Apart from Punjabi classic dishes infused with millets, Jhumroo’s diverse menu offers delicacies like Papdi Chaat made out of ragi, Jowar Pakoras, Ragi Mathris, Bajra Mooli Parathas, Barnyard Millets Khichdi and even sweets like Ragi Pongal and Laddoos and Barfis made of millets.